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The home of the Sun King’s architect brought back to life

In the Hôtel de Sagonne, designed by Jules Hardouin-Mansart, an apartment has been created to preserve history

Wood Marsh

The home of the Sun King’s architect brought back to life
By Editorial Staff -

Known for his stage-like effects, use of perspective, and polygonal, oval, and circular floorplans, Jules Hardouin-Mansart was an architect who emphasized the relationship between interiors and building façades. His work is regarded as the purest expression of the architecture at the time of the Sun King. As architect to Louis XIV, Hardouin-Mansart, who completed the palace of Versailles and designed its chapel, had a profound influence on French architecture during the latter half of the 17th century.

He also designed his own Parisian residence just a stone’s throw from Place de Bastille. Originally a sprawling private home, today it houses the Hôtel de Sagonne. But even centuries later, and despite some major renovations, the history and atmosphere of those times are still tangible.

With a touch of contemporary style, this history has been revived through an interior design project by Australian studio Wood Marsh, which has created a new and elegant apartment in the hotel. To comply with stringent heritage protection regulations, the studio developed a project that strikes a balance between historical architectural elements and contemporary comfort, preserving and respecting, rather than imitating, the elements still present from the original residence. This dialogue between past and present extends to the artworks on display, from the apartment owner’s vast collection from around the world, and the various digital devices in the rooms.

 

An interplay of colors

Paris Apartment, Wood Marsh. Paris Apartment is a respectful and complementing dialogue between the contemporary elements and faithfully restored heritage features throughout the home. © Tommaso Sartori, courtesy of Wood Marsh

Most of the rooms feature combinations of light and pastel tones, in particular white and beige, which create a welcoming atmosphere. This palette continues in the main living room, with sofas and armchairs in the same delicate shades. Likewise, in the kitchen and one of the bedrooms, the colors contrast with dark furnishings, which stand out against the white background. The kitchen, in particular, makes a bold statement, with its black Marquina marble creating a decisive, sophisticated personality. It’s even sculpture-like, with its clear geometries and symmetries prominent, while its details and built-in appliances fade into the background.

Both for its brighter salmon tones and central location within the apartment’s layout, the main dining room is the centerpiece of the home. Above the large dining table is a striking chandelier designed by Nathalie Ziegler Pasqua, which embraces and reflects the tone of the entire room. The architects paid particular attention to the master bedroom, designing the entire layout of the home around it and creating a small study with soft tones. All this allows for complete privacy. Like a centerpiece, the bed occupies the middle of the room, leading the way towards the en suite bathroom with its fine marble finishes.

Dubbed Paris Apartment, the home embodies a respect for tradition in its ongoing dialogue between Paris’s history and local and overseas contemporaneity.

Paris Apartment, Wood Marsh © Tommaso Sartori, courtesy of Wood Marsh

Location: Paris, France
Interior design: Wood Marsh
Client: Private
Completion: 2023
Area: 200 m2

Photography by Tommaso Sartori, courtesy of Wood Marsh

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